Happy Early Birthday Dr. Father

 Wow. It is Friday and I haven't even started writing my email. Here we go. It has been such a busy week. We had to plan for our Zone conference training, had two exchanges, and a good chunk of lessons. 

The Grand Valley area is overall doing really good. We have been meeting with a handful of members and teaching a couple promising people. Our most progressing is Alison Pierce. She is an older lady who referred herself. On Saturday during the lesson she actually asked to be baptized before we even brought it up which is sweet. She is preparing for November 19th. A nice win. 

On Thursday we had our AP exchange. I stayed in Grand Valley with Elder Sargent again. I loved it. Elder Sargent and I get along very well. Whenever I am around him I learn something new about myself. He's so observant and questions a lot of things which gets the other person thinking. During our comp exchange inventory we set some ambitious goals for me to follow through on to decrease the amount of pride I have. There is progression and it seems we have found the root of it. The spirit works in many ways. I also made him the BBQ chicken pizza on pita bread and Elder Sargent loved it. Eating healthy is the move. 

Friday was when we planned out our Zone conference training with the STLs. We were a little worried because our two STLs don't get along the greatest and the meeting we had with them two days prior was rough. It actually went really well. By the end of it my brain was pretty fried. It was only a 30 minute training, but I've realized that working with 3 other people is rather challenging. It was a good opportunity to grow. 

On Saturday was an exchange I led with Elder Jacob Curtis. He's been out for around 9 months now. He is the most charitable Elder ever. He always turns outwards in every interaction. I went back to his area which is a Spanish speaking area. We had a couple lessons happen and some fall through. We did have a lesson at 4 with a homie named Walter. He's in his 30s and speaks majority English and some Spanish. He has been preparing for baptism before, but didn't make his date. We sat down and he's like,"when is my next baptismal date?" We got caught off guard. I said,"will you follow Jesucristo in being baptized by someone holding the proper authority of God? (Signaling with my hands since I have no idea how to speak Spanish). He accepted and is preparing for November 19th as well. Also, side note. When we walked into his apartment I was expecting something run down since the hallway smelt like cigarettes. We walk in and it is straight bouj. Super nice couches, brand new carpet, house smelling nice. It was where the spirit could dwell. 

On Sunday we were asked to run the youth Sunday school class again. Instead of doing jeopardy like we did last week, we decided to do a family feud. Duh! I love the youth here in the Grand Valley Ward. 

One thing that touched me while I was speaking with Elder Curtis on our exchange was gaining a personal relationship with Christ. We used the example that you could never grow your relationship with a person if you don't ever stop talking and listen to what they have to say as well. A big chunk of the people in the world have that type of relationship with Christ. They always pray to him, but never sit still and listen. Christ will answer your prayers if you put yourself in an environment where you can hear him. I've never drawn nearer to Christ than I have now. He is waiting to speak to us. Just listen. 

This upcoming week is going to be so exciting. We have a zone conference tomorrow which is also Dad's 50th birthday WHAT. We then travel an hour and a half north the following day to have MLC in person in Mount Pleasant. Today is district preparation day and we are going bowling, carving pumpkins, and playing games. It should be fun. Love and miss you all!!!

Go Hang With Jesus

 Monday night starting the week off strong. We received a referral from someone named Alison. She is an older lady who wants to learn more about God. We came over and taught her the restoration. She loved it and as we were closing out we prefaced that the next meeting we will be talking about life after death. You should've seen her face lit up. It really hit Elder Watts and I hard because these truths we cherish in the Plan of Salvation are so taken for granted. Alison is progressing amazingly right now. 

One of the failures this week came on Tuesday. I decided to make lemon chicken in the crockpot. I didn't marinade it beforehand since I knew it'll sit in the crockpot with lemon juice for 8 hours. I didn't know you could over marinade something. I shredded the chicken and it tasted like straight lemons. It made me feel so sick. The sad part was that I made two chicken breasts which covered me for at least two meals. I had to do what I had to do since I'm on that budget. All for the protein. 

On the bright side, Elder Watts showed me a new recipe that I will be implementing in my life. He bought whole wheat pita bread to have pizza on. He throws it in the air fryer for 5 minutes and then there you go. I tried with a BBQ chicken pizza and I think I'll have that every week for the remainder of the mission. 

The weeks are coming and going. We have been so busy in the Grand Valley area. It is popping off! It mainly is due to us meeting with members and actually setting successful plans with them on how they can share the gospel with their friends. Elder Watts has shown me so many right ways to utilize members in this work. Who woulda thought, not I. 

Thursday was an exchange I had with Elder Jacob Willen. He is from Texas. I went to an area called Hart, Michigan which is on Lake Michigan for the day. Elder Willden actually stayed with Elder Woolsey and I around 2 months ago when he picked up his trainee. We are pretty familiar with each other and get along really well. This was the first time in over three months that I did planned service haha. I have never been a fan of just serving in the community. I would much rather be trying to find new people to teach. This is a downfall that I have. On the brightside, we worked at a thrift store and I found some cool Christmas lights for $1.50 that we put up in our apartment. 

The weather in Michigan amazes me still. Wednesday the high was 40 degrees with hail and the following day it was 75 degrees and sunny. We usually open our window at night to ice up our room so we can sleep well. It is a little tough getting up, but it surprisingly gets us moving. Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Elder Watts and I go running which gets the blood flowing. Fridays are also rough because I do leg day after I run. It is miserable. This paragraph was all over the place, I apologize. 

Our exchange on Saturday got canceled due to the other elders being sick so we rescheduled for next week. The day on Saturday was beautiful. It was sunny out and 75 degrees. I got to pull out the short sleeve shirt with the rolled sleeves and go to our favorite public park to contact people. Saturday was a win. 

We decided to put up Christmas lights in our apartment since it's getting colder. Tis' the season! 

Love this quote that was restated in the most recent General Conference by Elder McConkie III:

"Do you love the Lord? [Then] spend time with Him." Such a simple, yet amazing quote by Elder Wirthlin. We are focusing on spending more time with Jesus in the 5 gospels in the mission. Elder Watts and I like to refer to it as hanging out with Jesus. So you all go hang out with Jesus, he's really cool. 

Love you!! Reach out and chat, I'm always a listening ear. Have an amazing week. 

Back 2 Back

 Ever since transfers happened Mondays haven't been the same. All the elders and sisters that played ball on Mondays got transferred out. We ran some pickleball, a little basketball, and got some food. Solid. 

On Tuesday was when Elder Watts (and Elder Woolsey) hit their one year as a missionary. Elder Watts' mom said we could go out somewhere and she would pay. We decided to go to an Outback steakhouse which I enjoyed a lot. It wasn't the best for Elder Watts since it made his blood sugar go sicko mode. Rest in peace to diabetes type one. 

The weather the past week in Michigan has been all over the place. It begins the day sunny, then to cloudy, then to raining, switching over to hailing, and then the sun is back out. It is a pretty cool experience to say the least. I do love Michigan. 

On Friday and Saturday we had back to back exchanges. My first one was with Elder Carter Long. I went on with him last transfer. He's from AZ and he is so good. He is extremely honest and loving. He reflects a lot of thr Saviors' attributes. I stayed in Grand Rapids for that exchange. The following day I was with Elder Zack Reese again, but this time I went to his area. We saw a lot of success and taught boldly. This situation allows me to grow in different ways and am grateful that Christ gives us the opportunity to experience opposition. Opposition is an opportunity to prove our commitment to God. Love those two elders so much. 

Another week down and not too much to report on. It was a solid week laboring in the Lord's vineyard, but I just don't know what to write home about. It's getting even colder here and I don't even know how I survived last year. Gulp. 

This is actually crazy. Someone in our ward shared a statistic about us receiving a temple recently. The four other instate temples that were announced had at least 200,000 members in the state it was announced in. The number of members in Michigan is 45,000. They have been praying for this temple for over a year and God answers prayers. Literally shocking!!

On Sunday we taught the youth during the second hour since both of the teachers were out of town. We figured we were doing that at 830am and our church meetings began at 10am. We decided to throw together a jeopardy and then see how it went. It was such a good lesson that had everyone involved. It was so good. I'm glad we got the opportunity to help the youth learn strange fun facts about missionary work and build good relationships with them. The ages ranged from 13-17 years old. 

I miss you all so much. Reach out to me, I would love to chat. Stay in touch!

Expected Changes and Happy Anniversary!

 This week had a sad beginning. I had to say goodbye to one of my closest friends in the mission field Elder Kaleb Woolsey ;((. For our last preparation day together it was laid back full of basketball. Transfer day came and we parted ways. Rip K-BUB. 

My new companion's name is Elder JJ Watts. Some things about him are that he's from Draper, UT, he's been on the mission for a year, he loves mountain biking, he has type one diabetes, and he served in the best area in the mission (Bay City). It was weird having to adjust again. I was so comfortable with Elder Woolsey, but The Lord knew I needed change in my life. 

One awesome plus about being with Elder Watts is that he was a photographer back at home. We went to downtown Grand Rapids to take a new profile picture, but this time it was with a real quality camera. Elder Watts even edited the photos for me too. All the pictures we have are exquisite. As of right now, my new Facebook account is still going strong. We will continue to pray for it. 

This week has been full of transfer planning and meetings. It is for some reason spiritually draining which drains me physically as well. Another new assignment we have are Facebook lives for the mission page. Every Sunday at 8 pm we will be going live from the Come Unto Christ in Michigan page because we have been asked to. Here we go. 

Friday night we went to the ward Halloween party. They wanted to do it earlier before it got too cold. When that evening rolled around, the high was 49 degrees and it was around freezing when the sun went down. They decided to move it all inside since it was too cold. They had a chili cook-off and I was one of the judges. I don't know if I was the best judge due to the fact that when I tasted a chili that had too much "bean" flavor, it didn't get too high of a rating. Elder Watts got to meet the majority of the ward and it was a fun time. 

Our area is slowly lighting up again. Elder Watts does specific things that I've never done before that have helped this area out greatly. The momentum has shifted ever since the Grand Rapids Temple was announced. The valley is being rallied! #RallytheValley

Nothing insane happened this week. It was a new week to adjust, the weather is getting colder, and we are having lots and lots of meetings. The transfer is planned and we are ready to go. 

Happy anniversary to Taylor and Dallan. It literally feels like I just wrote about this, but that was over a year ago. 2 years down and eternity to go. I love you two so much!!

I am sharing uplifting spiritual thoughts every Sunday morning on my Facebook if you want to check it out. Love you all! My current Facebook is still up and running so you can reach out to me on there. Have an amazing week :))

The House of the Lord

 Monday was not a rest day that's for sure. It was another district preparation day. We gathered up around 12 and met at a corn maze. The winter in Michigan now is beginning to be a little rough. The high is around 60 degrees, it's windy, and it is sweater weather. We were in the corn maze for about an hour and a half. We had to get to certain checkpoints to receive our free sugar slushie at the end. We accomplished it. We then headed over to the church to play basketball. 

We concluded our pday by coming home at 5 and showering up to get ready to get back to work at 6. At 530 we had a thought that we needed to go to Target to buy stuff for banana bread and cobbler. We hurried home and came back at 6. For dessert that night we had our blueberry cobbler and it did not disappoint. The following day, I suffered the sequences. My body was not functioning right, I was home bound for the first chunk of the day. The following night, Elder Woolsey decided to make banana bread. I didn't know how easy it actually was to do that. Elder Woolsey made banana bread that was so similar to mom's. Yum. 

As you all may know by now, my first Facebook account got blocked or hacked. I am not sure how, but I know it did. I created a new one thinking if I did the exact same username and password everything would be alright. You may be thinking right now that I am not the brightest person and you are correct. My second account got locked and banned. I began my third account and learned from the past. I believe one of the reasons I am going through this is because I fasted for humility. I do not need to use social media as a place where I can be viewed, but a tool to find God's children. This humbled me enough to understand the importance of this pond of finding and how to begin to cherish it more. 

Another crazy thing occurred. On Tuesday, Elder Woolseys Facebook account got locked out too. This was apart of God's plan. This forced us to find other ways to find people to teach. We prioritized time to go do some stop bys on referrals that we haven't contacted. We visited Miriam and she has been prepared by God. She is this middle aged lady who has a solid sized family from El Salvador. She is fluent in both English and Spanish. She loves God with her whole heart and some of the things she says in lessons are just like, "YES YES YES!" We began teaching her and it was so special. I am grateful God humbled us on how we need to prioritize more time in other finding ponds.

Thursday night we were balling with non members and towards the end of the night my right knee got destroyed. Someone was on a fast break and I jumped up to block him. His ankle landed on my knee on the floor weirdly. He left with something wrong with his ankle and I left with something wrong with my knee. I guess I'm injury prone. I should be able to walk it off. 

I got even better news on thursday night … not really. I found out that my third Facebook account was taken down because it seemed suspicious. Satan really doesn't want me to use the social media pond. I guess we will see what happens next with that. 

Friday we had a virtual MLC. Towards the end, President Heap decided to give us all of our transfer news. Elder Woolsey is leaving to go to an area called WMU and I am receiving Elder JJ Watts (Yes like the football player). Elder Watts actually replaced me in the Bay City one I left. He has been in Bay City the past 4 transfers and is now coming to be with me. He actually came out with Elder Woolsey so he is coming up on a year. Cool thing is, I texted Elder Watts on preparation day, guessing that he is going to come to be with me for the coming transfer. First transfer call I predicted right.

This week was Elder Woolsey's mom's birthday. To celebrate, Elder Woolsey treated me to some Texas Roadhouse. We also tied it in as a goodbye gift. I forgot how good their rolls really are. Also, towards the end of the night, Elder Woolsey got a text from his mom saying she ordered us crumbl. Literally SCORE. What a week. 

The weekend of the General Conference was memorable. We watched all of the sessions in members' homes. We got fed, watched on comfy couches, and felt the spirit with different members of the ward. The crowning event of the weekend was of course Grand Rapids receiving a temple. THAT'S WHERE I LIVE. We have prayed everyday for this to happen. It was a sacred experience. Here is why:

We decided to watch the final session of conference at the Buckwalter's. They are a family who are all in, the father (President Buckwalter) is the stake president of the Grand Rapids stake. The whole time their 8 year old daughter named Lydia kept asking when they were announcing temples. Keep in mind that she has been writing on all her tithing donation slips,"For the Grand Rapids Temple." The time finally comes where the temples begin being announced. The room was tense and we were on the edge of our seats when President Nelson said the words,"Grand Rapids, Michigan." Holiness to The Lord, The House of The Lord. President and Sister Buckwalter started crying tears of joy. It was such a joyous moment filled with buzzing phones going off. 

At the end of the session, President Buckwalter insisted we knelt and said a prayer of gratitude. As we were all kneeling, there was about a 20 second period where no one said anything. The spirit flooded the room, it was overwhelming. Tears filled everyone's eyes and especially mine. President Buckwalter let out a heartfelt prayer thanking the Lord for a temple. As I was reflecting on this moment, tears flowed down my face. I was so happy that the people in Michigan are receiving another temple. I was so happy for the people. This was one of the first times in the mission where I felt the love I have for the people in Michigan. Tears of joy filled my eyes for the next hour. I now know that I am not called to the city, the tourist attractions, the weather, but the people. I love the people of Michigan. 

I don't apologize for the length of my email. It was a memorable one. I truly love and miss you all so much. I do have a new facebook… again so just look up Luke Clouse on your search and you'll find me. Have an amazing week.